This invention relates to mechanical protective devices, and more particularly to impact resistant face shields for use in protecting the face of an individual.
Today, sports are more popular than ever. This increase in popularity has resulted in an increase in the number of amateur and professional sport participants. Unfortunately, increased participation has resulted in an increase in the number of injuries suffered by individuals, and particularly in the number of facial injuries. Consequently, some sports now recommend and/or require the use of face shields or other facial protective devices when participating in the sport. One such sport is hockey.
Conventional face shields suitable for use in sports, such as those manufactured by Itech Sports Products, Inc. under the trade designation ITECH.RTM. Type IV sports protector, typically consist of a transparent polycarbonate blank that is formed or molded into a convex shield, which is adapted for mounting to existing sport helmets. The shield, when mounted to the helmet, extends generally outwardly and away from the wearer's face. As a result of this mounting configuration, objects located in the external environment appear at least partially distorted. Thus, the molded polycarbonate blank introduces some distortion over a portion of the individual's field of view.
The distorting effects of conventional face shields creates a unique set of problems for the wearer. The shield can cause strain on the wearer's eyes, which over a period of time can have deleterious effects. Additionally, rapidly viewing objects through the face shield and conversely not through the face shield produces further eye strain by requiring the individual to focus differently for each different field of view.
Due to the foregoing and other shortcomings of existing face shields, an object of this invention is to provide a face shield that reduces optical distortion.
Another object of this invention is to provide a protective face shield that has relatively high optical clarity and resolution.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a face shield that reduces the eye strain.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a face shield that is relatively strong and durable and relatively lightweight.
Other general and more specific objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear from the drawings and description which follow.